[FooBarWidget]

> but it does make it sound like unsupported software

Pretty much every open source license contains a section along the lines of "there is absolutely no warranty". Older projects make this crystal clear in their readme. Newer, hipper projects don't, but that's only because they don't state it as explicitly.

Open source software is unsupported software unless you paid for a support contract. If you still get support despite not having paid for such a contract, then that support is an incidental gift that can go away at any time for any reason.

[saagarjha]

There’s a difference between “please don’t ask for support” and “I’m happy to support you even though legally you can’t force me to support this”.

[TomasEkeli]

i think those two actually collapse to the exact same thing: "no guaranteed support"

[saagarjha]

Collapsing them misses the nuance that I am specifically talking about. It’s kind of like when the ice cream parlor down the street gives our free samples and you decide to go “well, actually, they don’t have to give you any samples because they can refuse service to anyone so in fact there is no difference in them providing free samples and not providing free samples” and it turns out that people can offer things in good faith without having to promise them in a legal contract. You definitely shouldn’t prepare a lawsuit based on the free samples but it’s totally reasonable to visit every week to try their latest flavor.

[blittle]

That's a poor analogy. An ice cream parlor offers free icecream purely to market thier product and drive business. An OSS dev gets nothing.

[saagarjha]

Nothing? Not at all: an open source developer gets the marketing/publicity benefit just like an ice cream parlor does. Why do you think companies open source their things? And as a solo developer, I get tons of high-quality inbound leads for job opportunities, get to interact with lots of smart people (many whom I end up forming long-lasting friendships with), and get other people to help improve and support my project with me. Plus I get the warm fuzzy feeling inside or high moral ground, or whatever you want to call it. If you’re not getting that from your open source work, why are you doing it anyways?

[yawaramin]

Would you do your current job for free for, say, six months to earn 'exposure' and 'warm fuzzy feelings'?

[passivate]

Indeed, there is a difference, but it is also quickly forgotten when your production system is down with the boss breathing down your neck.